Wire-fence-stay-forming machine.



APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18. 1917.

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UNITED s'rnrns PATENT onrron LOUIS W. HOLMES, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOB TO MARTIN 0. SHOOP, OF

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application filed October 18, 1917. Seria1No. 197,226.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS W. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire-Fence- Stay-Forming Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wire fence stay machines, and more particularly to machines which will form wire fence stays of the character in which the stay is constructed out of a single piece of wire formed with a straight shank around which the wire is loosely coiled. The pri mary object of this invention is the production of improved simple means, which will form stays of the character stated in a minimum length of time and with a minimum amount of hand labor.

The invention also provides automatic means for checking the operation of the machine and returning the parts into initial, that is starting position after each stay is formed.

To these ends my invention comprises the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation, part of the structure being broken away; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line XX of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is another section taken on the line YY of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan of a detail of my invention; Fig. 5 is a section of a detail taken on the line ZZ of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an end view of the forming tool or die, and Fig. 7 is a plan of a wire fence stay of the character which my invention is adapted to form.

In the drawing, let A indicate the base of my improved machine upon which is rigidly secured a suitable head stock 2 and a suitable tail stock 3, there being a longitudinal guide in the form of an upstanding rib 4: formed on the base and extending between said stocks. Extending longitudinally between and journaled in said stocks is a screw shaft 5 upon which is slidably mounted a carriage 6, the lower end of said carriage being formed with a slot 7 which slidingly receives said guide 4:, so that the carriage is free to move in upright position along the bed on said shaft. J ournaled in the head the straight shank 11 of the stay, (see Fig.

7), with one end projecting from the bit end of the mandrel. This projecting end in forming the stay is bent by hand laterally and the bent end engaged by the bit, so that when the mandrel is revolved the projecting end of the wire 12 is wrapped around the mandrel.

The head stock 2 is formed with a housing 13 having bearings 14, in which the shaft 5 and mandrel 9 are journaled, and said shaft and mandrel carry intermeshing gears 15 and 16, so that the mandrel 9 is revolved at suitable speed by the feed shaft 5. The feed shaft 5 in turn is positively driven by a pulley 17 or may be revolved by a handle 18, indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1 and removably attached to the flattened end 19.

The carriage 6 is provided with a suitable clutch B which is releasably engaged with the thread of the feed shaft 5, so that the carriage will feed forwardly at suitable speed according to the number of convolutions that are to be made in the entwined portion of the fence stay about the shank 11. This clutch comprises a follower 20, which is slidably mounted in a vertical passage 21 and has on its upper end a tooth 22, which engages in the spiral passage 23 of the feed screw, when the follower is urged into superior position. A suitable lever 24 pivoted at 25 between its ends on the carriage is tilted up or down by its power end 26, the work end of said lever being connected to the follower by pivot and slot connection 27. When the follower is in superior position, that is with its tooth 22 engaged with the feed screw, it is held engaged by a spring pressed lock pin 28, which is automatically forced into a curved recess 29 in the follower by a spring 30. The curved end of the pin 28 seated in the curved recess 29. releasably holds the follower in enga ed position, but the follower can when sufficient force is applied to the power end of the lever 24: be forced out of engagement against the pressure exerted by the lock pin.. Arranged in selected position into starting position by means of a power driven revoluble drum 35 and a flexible cord 36 secured to the carriage and wound upon said drum. This drum is journaled upon a vertical shaft 37, which is threaded at its lower end into the tail stock and passes downwardly through a governor fixture 38 above the drum and a receptacle 39 formed in the tail stock. Arranged in the receptacle 39 is a coil spring, one end of which is secured at 40 to the vertical. shaft 37, and, its other end secured by a pin 41 to the drum 35. This coil spring is adapted to revolve the drum and wind the flexible cord upon its periphery, and has suliicient strength to move the carriage back into starting position after it has been released by its clutch from the feed screw, either automatically or by hand at any predetermined point of its travel. The governor fixture 38 is free to revolve on the shaft 37 and carries a pair of centrifugal governor weights 42, which are formed integral with a pair of hell cranks 43. These bell cranks which are pivoted at their angles by the pins 44 to the governor fixture have their short arms 45 arranged to press downwardly when the governor weights are spread outwardly under centrifugal force against the surface of the drum 35, thereby frictionally engaging the governor with the drum and automatically regulating its speed, so that it will not' return the carriage into starting positlon too rapidly. The governor fixture is secured to the drum by engaging teeth or lugs 46.

The outer end of the piece of wire to be formed into a fence stay after being inserted to proper depth in the mandrel is bent back into engagement with a forming d e C, which comprises a freely rotatable antlfriction forming wheel 47 journaled by the shaft 48 on a supporting arm 49 said arm bemg secured on one side of the carriage 6 (see Fig. 3). The periphery of the forming wheel is formed with a groove 50 and a radiating circular shoulder or guard 51, which are adapted to receive and hold the outer end portion of the wire to be coiled. The forming wheel is arranged at a sultable angle to the axis of the tubular mandrel and is positioned with its periphery close to the surface of the mandrel, so that it is in close proximity to its work and will hold the projecting end of the wire and cause it to wind closely around the mandrel. The forming tool thus produced is adapted to smoothly direct the wire and cause its outer end to wind spirally about the shank portion 11 of the stay until completely wrapped, whereupon the trip 32 will release the clutch from the screw feed and allow the carriage 6 to return automatically to initial position. When the carriage starts to return, the forming tool will engage the spiral wound portion of the stav which has been formed and automatically eject the completed stay from the mandrel.

The bit 10 of the mandrel is so shaped with teeth having abrupt shoulders 55 and slanting backs 56 as to form suitable clearance spaces which will allow the bent end of the wire which is being formed into a stay to easily engage the bit when turned back over the revoluble mandrel, whereas if the bit is formed with teeth having blunt or flat ends, it will be very difficult to engage the wire with the mandrel, while the mandrel is revolving, so that its end will wind.

in accordance with the patent statutes, 1 have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Let ters Patent is 1. A wire fence stay machine, comprising, in combination, a head stock, a tail stock, a base to which said stocks are secured having a longitudinal guide between them, a feed screw revoluble upon said stocks, a carriage slidable upon said feed screw and guide, a cylindrical mandrel rotatable in said head stock, rotatable and slidable in said carriage and formed with a bit on its end, said mandrel being adapted to receive the straight end of a piece of wire to be formed into a fence stay, a clutch by which said carriage is releasably engaged with said feed screw, means for releasing said. clutch to disengage said carriage from said feed screw at a predetermined time, a freely rotatable die on said carriage arranged to as sist in wrapping the outer end of said piece of wire spirally about said mandrel, means for rotating said feed screw and mandrel and means for returning the carriage to initial position after said clutch has been released.

2. A wire fence stay machine, comprising, in combination, a head stock, a tail stock,a base to which said stocks are secured having a longitudinal guide between them, a feed screw revoluble upon said stocks, a carriage slidable upon said feed screw and guide, a cylindrical mandrel rotatable in said head stock, rotatable and slidable in said carriage and formed with a wire engaging bit on its end, said mandrel being adapted to receive the straight end of a piece of wire to be formed into a fence stay, a clutch by which said carriage is releasably engaged with said feed screw, selectively positioned means on said guide for releasin said clutch to disengage said carriage from said feed screw at a predetermined time, a die carried by said carriage for assisting in wrapping the outer end of said piece of wire spirally around said mandrel, means for rotating said feed screw and mandrel, a spring motor for returning the carriage to initial position after said clutch has been released, and a governor for automatically controlling the speed of said motor to regulate the return movement of said carriage.

3. A wire fence stay machine, comprising, in combination, a head stock, a tail stock, a base to which said stocks are secured having a longitudinal guide between them, a feed screw revoluble upon said stocks, a carriage slidable upon said feed screw and guide, a cylindrical mandrel rotatable in said head stock, rotatable and slidable in said carriage and formed with a toothed bit on its end, the tooth of which has an abrupt shoulder and a slanting back forming a pointed end which will readily engage the projecting portion of the wire being formed while the mandrel is revolving and assist in causing said projecting end to wrap around said mandrel, a forming die mounted upon said carriage and cooperating with said bit to hold and cause the projecting end of said wire to wrap around said mandrel,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for a clutch on said carriage by which said carriage is releasably engaged with said feed screw, means for releasing said clutch from said feed screw at a predetermined time, means for rotating said feed screw and mandrel, and means for returning the carriage to initial position after said clutch has been released.

4. A wire fence stay machine, comprisin in combination, a head stock, a tail stoc a base to which said stocks are secured, a feed screw revoluble upon said stocks, a carriage slidable upon said feed screw, a cylindrical mandrel rotatable in said head stocks, rotatable and slidable in said carriage, and formed with a toothed end, said mandrel being adapted to receive the straight end of a piece of wire to be formed into a stay and the toothed end of said mandrel being adapted to engage the projecting end of said piece of wire to assist in causing the same to wrap spirally around said mandrel, a stationary die mounted upon said carriage having a rotatable member adapted to engage the projecting end of said piece of wire and cooperate with the toothed end of said mandrel in causing said projecting end to wrap around said mandrel, a clutch mounted upon said carriage and adapted to releasably engage said feed screw, means positioned in the path of said carriage for releasing said clutch to disengage said carriage from said feed screw, means for rotating said feed screw and mandrel, means for returning the carriage to initial position after said clutch has been released, and a governor for regulating the speed of said returning means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LOUIS W. HOLMES.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

